1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, into which a memory card having a non-contact communication function can be inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as a data storing means of electronic devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones, memory cards having a built-in nonvolatile memory such as flash memory, for example, “SD Memory Card” and “MultiMedia Card” are rapidly becoming pervasive. For example, a connector for this kind of memory card is disclosed in Japanese Patent Early Publication No. 2005-26016. This connector is formed with a housing having a loading port at its one end, through which the memory card can be inserted into the connector, a plurality of contacts configured to contact connecting terminals of the memory card inserted in the housing, a slide member that is slidable in the housing in synchronization with the memory card inserted from the loading port, and a bias spring configured to provide a spring biasing force to the slide member in a direction of pulling out the memory card.
By the way, it is expected that a compact memory card (e.g., “smart SD”) having an IC card function for transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside by non-contact communication becomes pervasive in the future. However, as a result of the compact size of the memory card itself, an antenna built in this memory card is inevitably small. Therefore, it is an important subject for study to extend a communication distance. For example, Japanese Patent Early Publication No.2002-279377discloses an adaptor for a plug-in type IC card. This adaptor has a substantially same shape as a conventional credit card, and an antenna coil is disposed inside to extend the communication distance.
However, because the adaptor itself has a substantially same size as the credit card, it is needed to mount a connector having a shape and a size corresponding to the adaptor in an electric appliance. For this reason, there are problems in that it becomes necessary to newly design a connector configuration suitable for the adaptor, and mounting such an adapter in the electric appliance leads to an increase in size of the electric appliance in itself.